February 16, 2012

Gary Carter, famed catcher for the Montreal Expos and New York Mets, has died of brain cancer. He was 57.

Nicknamed "The Kid" for his enthusiasm and cheerfulness, Carter began his career with the Expos in 1974 and played with them until 1984, after which he was traded to the Mets for five years. He played a season each with the SF Giants and LA Dodgers, before returning to Montreal for one more season in 1992. He was inducted in 2003 into the Baseball Hall of Fame, as an Expo.

I saw Carter play in Montreal in 1983, alongside other Expo greats such as Tim Raines, Andre Dawson and Al Oliver. Over the years I developed more of an appreciation for American League rules rather than National League, and evolved into a Toronto Blue Jays fan rather than the Expos. But as long as Gary Carter was playing for them, the 'Spos were my favourite team. RIP Kid.